Q1106. How to process invention patent registration translations for international protection?

Answered by the NYC Visa & Translation certified translation team

Invention patent protection is territorial — a foreign patent does not protect the invention in Thailand, and protection requires a Thai application at the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) or a PCT application entering the Thai national phase. The translation workflow for international protection strategy: for PCT national phase entry into Thailand, the application must be filed in Thai within 30 months of the priority date — the full specification and claims are translated into Thai, and this Thai text is what is examined and granted, so translation quality determines the scope of Thai protection; for Paris Convention direct filings, the 12-month priority window applies with the same Thai translation requirement; and for Thai inventions going abroad, the Thai application is translated into English or the target office's language for foreign filings. Rules that matter: the claims define the monopoly — claim translation requires a translator with the technical field background and patent-claim drafting literacy; new matter cannot be added in translation — the Thai text must be supportable by the priority document, and over-translation (adding explanatory material) creates invalidity risk; and the priority document itself, when required by the office, follows the certification chain. Practice points: engage the Thai patent agent early — the agent's translation review is part of prosecution quality; for a patent family, keep the terminology consistent across jurisdictions; and the 30-month PCT deadline is absolute — book translation capacity when the international search report arrives, not at month 29. Confirm current requirements with the DIP or the handling patent agent.